Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 25, 1965) is an actress, singer and songwriter, and the wife of playwright David Mamet.
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Personal Life
She was born to British parents in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, while her father was a visiting professor at MIT, but she grew up in Scotland. She thus holds dual US/UK citizenship. Pidgeon attended drama college and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. After some promising work as an actress in the UK, she moved to the United States. She had met American writer/director David Mamet while acting in his play Speed the Plow during its run at The National Theatre in London. She subsequently became his wife in 1991. She and Mamet have two children, Clara and Noah.
Professional Career
From 1986 to 1990 she was the lead singer of the British folk/pop band Ruby Blue. Pidgeon left Ruby Blue, shortly after the band had signed a major record label and was beginning to gather both commercial and critical success. She appeared in her first feature film in 1988, The Dawning. She then decided to concentrate on her acting career, starring in Mamet's plays and films, initially in the movie Homicide, then in the play Oleanna, a part written for her. Returning to music in 1994, she released the solo album The Raven, followed by New York Girls' Club. A further album, The Four Marys, a collection of traditional Celtic folk songs, followed in 1998. She is currently appearing in the US TV show, The Unit playing Charlotte Ryan.
Trivia
- In October 2005 she released Tough on Crime, which featured the late Billy Preston on keyboards.
- Pidgeon is a convert to Judaism.
- Growing up in Edinburgh, Rebecca was a teenage friend of singer Shirley Manson.
- Having played the lead in the play Oleanna, she composed the music of a film of the same name.
Filmography
Pidgeon has appeared in the following films and television projects:
- The Dawning 1988
- Campaign (TV mini-series) 1988
- She's Been Away 1989
- Uncle Vanya (made for TV) 1991
- Homicide 1991
- The Water Engine (made for TV) 1992
- The Spanish Prisoner 1997
- The Winslow Boy 1999
- Catastrophe 2000
- State and Main 2000
- Heist 2001
- Advice and Dissent 2002
- Shopgirl 2005
- Edmond 2005
- The Unit (TV series) 2006-2007
- Redbelt 2008


